


Super Saiyan Pan

by rustydagger



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, GT Doesn't Exist, Gen, Pan - centric, Post Z, SSJ Pan, Sexism, Super Doesn't Exist, Truten, Uub didn't happen tho, but it's very much on the side, or at least i'm not gonna mention it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-29 17:48:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13932144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rustydagger/pseuds/rustydagger
Summary: After being told (albeit jokingly) by her Uncle Goten, that she'd never become a Super Saiyan because she's a girl, five-year-old Pan is determined to do just that.





	1. Set In Motion

**Author's Note:**

> I recently re-watched Dragon Ball Z with my little brother. Yes the Funi-Dub. Yes with the Falconer Score. There's no lying that the series as a whole is a Boy's-Club at best, and down right creepily misogynistic at worst, but I've always had a soft spot for it, because I grew up with it. Anyway, I loved the potential of Pan after the 10 year time-skip, and was really sad to see she got pretty similar treatment to any other cool female characters with potential (Launch, Bulma, 18, Videl, ect, ect). So yeah, this is a what-if story about her becoming a Super Saiyan. Enjoy!

_“You take that back right now, Goten!”_

The shrill voice of his daughter, followed by an earthquake-like thud had Gohan rushing from his study. He was outside in a heart-beat, eyes searching for Pan and her teenage-uncles (who he'd _hoped_  would've made much better baby sitters).  
  
He saw them in the distance, at the end of an impressive line of debris.

“Pan! _Hey-!_ You have to calm down! He didn't mean it!”  
  
Trunks was restraining the irate five-year-old, while she threw punches in any direction she could manage. Goten was beside them, practically embedded in the ground, nursing a bloody nose. He was the first to notice Gohan approaching, immediately looking sheepish.

“What the **__hell__** happened out here!”  
  
It was rare Gohan ever cursed, _especially_  around Pan. Goten cowered. Even Trunks was a little intimidated by his tone.

“Daddy!”  
  
Pan finally managed to break free from Trunks' hold. She scrambled to the ground and over to her father. Gohan knelt to greet her, tearing his eyes from the two teenagers for now.

“Are you alright, Pan?”  
  
Pan jumped into his arms, burying her face into his sweater vest. Gohan could already feel her tears soaking through it.  
  
“They're mean boys! Mean! Mean! _Mean!”_ Pan cried, punching at her father's chest.

Gohan frowned, watching Trunks help Goten to his feet. Neither of them seemed to want to come forth with an explanation, both sporting looks of shame.

“Tell me what they did, Pan,” Gohan said gently, angry eyes never leaving the boys.

Pan was quiet for a moment, sobbing softly to herself and leaving her uncles to squirm under Gohan's gaze.

“H-He said... H-he said,” she began, wiping at her eyes.

It broke Gohan's heart to see his daughter this way, but he waited patiently for her to finish.

“..He said I can never become a Super Saiyan because... Because I'm a _girl! _”__

* * *

 

“I was just joking around, I swear!”  
  
Goten winced atop the kitchen counter-top, while his brother tended to his injuries. Trunks stood nearby, arms crossed uncomfortably. His eyes were facing the floor.

“You know how Mom feels about swearing..” Gohan said, frowning as he worked.

“And just because you were trying to get a rise out of her doesn't make it any better. Don't you remember how much you hated people stirring you at that age?”  
  
Goten sighed, shoulders slumping. He knew he'd messed up. Sometimes it was easy to get carried away. It didn't make his brother's disappointment any easier to swallow though.

“...I'm sorry.”  
  
Gohan stepped back, satisfied with his level of care.

“It's not me you've got to convince,” he said, packing up his first aid supplies.

“Yeah...” Goten said quietly.

Gohan's frown lessened some, but his voice remained stern.

“I think it's best if you two left Pan alone for a few days. But once she's settled, I want you _both_ to apologise – got it?”

“O-of course..” Goten nodded earnestly.

“Sorry Gohan..” came Trunks from behind him.

* * *

 

 

Gohan approached Pan's room quietly, not wanting to cause any more upset. His daughter was carefully stacking blocks on her play-mat. Outside of training she loved to build things.  
  
As an added bonus, it provided a great exercise for strength control – totally essential when bringing up a Saiyan child. Gohan and Pan had spent many quiet afternoons playing with them together, practising that control.  
  
“Pan,” Gohan said after a while.

Pan paused, just about to place another block, and turned to her father.  
  
“Can I come in?”

She nodded slowly, turning away from the structure she was building.

“How are you feeling?” Gohan asked, sitting himself gently on the floor beside her.

“I'm okay,” Pan replied, looking down sadly.

Her eyes were still red at the edges. It had taken a while to calm her down.  
  
“I'm sorry for hurting Uncle Goten...”

“You're not in trouble, Pan,” Gohan assured her.

He reached over, lifting her into his lap.

“I know your mom and I like it when you solve things with words instead of punches – but Uncle Goten wasn't being fair to you. I understand why you were upset.”  
  
Pan nodded slowly, looking uncertain. She stayed quiet for a moment before speaking again.  
  
“How old were you when you became a Super Saiyan, Daddy?”

Gohan blinked. That hadn't been the question he was expecting. He tread carefully with his answer.

“Quite a bit older than you, Pan.”

It wasn't exactly a lie. Eleven __was__  a lot older than five.

“Older than Uncle Goten and Uncle Trunks?” she asked.

The sadness in his little girl's eyes was making Gohan's heart hurt again.

“Older than Uncle Goten, or Uncle Trunks,” he confirmed, “They really took everyone by surprise with how young __they__  were.”  
  
Pan frowned, looking downward again – this time at her hands. She clenched and unclenched them.  
Gohan faltered, thinking quickly.

“But Pan – Sweetie. You have to understand that the world was very different before you were born.”

It didn't help that Gohan wasn't entirely sure how to brace the topics ahead. Pan was brighter than he could have ever hoped she'd be, but she'd also just celebrated her fifth birthday the month before. There _were_ limits.

“There were a lot of bad people in the world back then – much worse than there is now.”

He had her attention at the very least. Pan listened intently.

“When I turned Super Saiyan, Pan – I wasn't doing it for fun.”  
  
“You wanted to stop Cell!” Pan chimed in enthusiastically.  
  
She was very familiar with the heroic tale of her father – by far her most requested bedtime story.

“That's right,” Gohan nodded gently, “But it took a long time to get there. And it was only when my friends were in danger that I could do it. It was very scary.”  
  
__Scary__  was an understatement. _Horrific... Soul-Crushing....Life-Scaring,_  maybe.  
But that was a conversation for another time. In ten to twenty years time, perhaps.

_“You_ were scared?” Pan asked incredulously.

“Very,” Gohan nodded again.

He reached forward, gently running his fingers through her hair. The thought of his daughter anywhere near that sort of danger kept Gohan awake at night.

“So when you think about it,” he continued, giving her a soft smile, “You're very lucky that you don't _need_ to be a Super Saiyan.”

Pan looked thoughtful. For a moment Gohan thought his words might have been enough. Then Pan frowned.

“Uncle Goten said he was training when he turned Super Saiyan.. And Uncle Trunks was playing around in the Gravity Room. They didn't have to be scared!”  
  
Gohan sighed. He couldn't lie there.

Pan looked sadly at her hands once more.

“I'm nearly as old as them back then...” she said, eyes welling up. “...Is it really because I _am_  a girl...”

Gohan couldn't stand to see his daughter this way. He knew he'd probably get a bit of heat for it when Videl arrived home. but in the moment it was all he could think of.

“Hey, hey. That's not true at all, Pan. In fact, I think it's time I showed you something...”

* * *

 

“Mommy was a _fighter!?”_  
  
Pan was in a state of total awe. She sat with several photo albums sprawled on the floor, admiring her mother.

“Why did she become a police officer instead?” Pan asked, turning to Gohan who sat beside her.

”Well,” her father began, reaching to turn the page of an album, “She's kind of always been both.”  
  
Pan's eyes followed his to the new page. She recognised her mother straight away, even with pigtails and a high-school uniform.

“How?” she asked.

“Do you see her there?” Gohan pointed, “That's around the time I first met your mom.”

He laughed, a flood of embarrassing high-school memories coming back to him.

“And even then, she was working with the police. As a fighter.”  
  
Pan frowned, processing the information.  
  
“So mommy was fighting bad guys, like how I fight with Grandpa and Uncle Goten? With kicks and punches?”  
  
“That's right,” Gohan nodded.

His wife certainly wasn't flying, and shooting ki blasts in her line of work these days (unless she really _had_ to), but for simplicity's sake he didn't correct Pan on the exact details.

“And she still does now. You could say she's a _special_ kind of police officer. When it's too tough for the regular police, they call her in.”  
  
Pan nodded, listening as she turned through the album's pages.

“Mommy isn't a Saiyan is she?”  
  
Gohan chuckled at the thought.

“No, sweetie.”   
  
Though _that_  would certainly be interesting...

“But she's so strong...” Pan said, confused, a particular picture of her mother catching her attention.

It was a news paper clipping. Videl stood by a man at least three times her size, holding him in hand cuffs.

“She is,” Gohan agreed, looking fondly over his daughters shoulder at the pictures of Videl.

Her fiery blue eyes had simmered over the years, but their strength was still undeniable.

“She trained very hard to become strong. Just like you do.”  
  
Pan ran her fingers across the photos of her mother, looking thoughtful again.

“...Just like me...?”  
  
“Just like you, Pan,” Gohan confirmed, reaching over to place a comforting hand on his daughters shoulder.

She was still so small it practically dwarfed most of her back.  
  
“And even if you weren't a Saiyan, her strong blood would still be running through your veins.”  
  
Pan nodded slowly, eyes still on the collection of photos.

“But I am a Saiyan...”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“And I'm a girl.”  
  
“That's right.”  
  
“And I can be very strong.”  
  
“The sky is the limit, Pan.”

* * *

 

Gohan greeted his wife at the door, later in the evening. Pan was asleep by then.

“Welcome home,” he said, pecking her cheek.

“Thank you,” she chuckled, giving her husband a tired smile.  
  
“Long day?” he asked, taking her hands into his.  
  
Videl simply nodded.

“Would you like a coffee? I've got the kettle boiling.”  
  
Videl perked up at that, “Thought you'd never ask.”  
  
Gohan chuckled, leading her to the kitchen.

“Did Pan go down alright?” Videl asked, sitting at the table.

Gohan moved to the counter to fix them both a coffee, “Yeah, she was pretty tired. It's been uh.. A bit of an eventful day, you might say.”  
  
Videl knew the nervous laughter of her husband too well not to be suspicious. She narrowed her eyes in his direction.  
  
“Oh..?” she prompted.

 

* * *

  
“I barely skimmed over the violent side of things – I promise!” Gohan assured, after recounting the day with his daughter.

Videl sipped slowly at her coffee, taking in the new information. Gohan's shoulders dropped in relief when she finally smiled.

“You're such a softie,” she said, reaching across the table to pinch her husband's cheek. “I love that about you.”  
  
“Yeah?” Gohan laughed, looking embarrassed.

He remained ever modest about his good qualities. Videl simply rolled her eyes, withdrawing her hand again.  
  
“I think you did the right thing,” she said, “I would hate her to worry about me when I go to work – but I think it's also important she has strong women to look up to.”  
  
“That's what I was thinking,” Gohan said, nodding. “..I never really thought about it before today – but being a Saiyan has always been a bit of a 'boys club'.”  
  
Videl hummed in agreement.  
  
“That's not really your fault, love. You can't choose genetics” she assured, “But it __is__  true..”  
  
Gohan nodded again, looking down to his cup of coffee, thinking.

“I think it's great that she spars with Goten and your Dad – but maybe she needs to see what the women in her family can do too,” Videl suggested.

Gohan looked up at her again, “You think...?”  
  
“Yeah. _Actually_ , I've got something in mind..”


	2. A Glimpse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter two. I don't have an even update schedule for these, haha. So I do apologise if new chapters come out at random. Always love getting feed back on my stories, sincerely hope you enjoy it!

“What's all this?” Goku asked with a grin.

The Saiyan followed his nose to the kitchen, where Chi-Chi was cooking up a storm.  
  
“Wait,” he faltered momentarily “I didn't forget someone's birthday again, did I?”  
  
“No, not this time,” Chi-Chi assured, focused on chopping vegetables and placing them in a sizzling pan.

“What's the occasion then?” her husband asked, coming closer to peer over her shoulder.

“Pan is coming for a visit,” she replied, reaching up to her spice rack for an ingredient, “And I want to make sure she's got lots of energy.”  
  
“Oh!” Goku said, his grin returning.

“Don't get too excited – She won't be training with you today.”

Goku deflated, looking both puzzled and disappointed.

“...Goten then? I think he spent the night at Trunks' though, didn't he?”  
  
Chi-Chi scoffed.

“I'd hardly call the play-fighting those two do  _training_ , but no. Not Goten either.”  
  
Chi-Chi brushed passed her husband to return to the stove; finishing the dish was her main priority. Goku took the hint, stepping back to sit at the dining table out of her way. He watched her, intrigued.  
  
“Who's she coming to train with then..?”

“Me.”  
  
At that moment Goku took notice of his wife's clothing. She wasn't dressed like usual (sans the apron), but in her battle gi. It was clear it hadn't seen the sun in a many years, and was sporting several new mends as well.  
  
Perhaps the strange rumbling he'd heard earlier that morning had been Chi-Chi's sewing machine.

“Oh,” he said, blinking, “And you're okay being a part of that?”

Chi-Chi paused, letting go of a deep breath.  
  
“I don't like admitting it, but - I can't tell Gohan and Videl how to raise their own child. And as much as I  _would_  like to think this time of peace will go on forever.. I'm not holding my breath..”  
  
For the first time since he arrived, Chi-Chi turned to Goku. She gave him a determined smile.  
  
Goku looked a little sheepish himself; he wasn't in a reliable position to quell her worries of the future.

“...Well...” he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
“So if they want to encourage my  _only_  granddaughter's passion for battle, then the best thing I can do is impart what wisdom I have on her. If she wants to be strong, she needs to be prepared to be the _strongest_.”

Goku could tell Chi-Chi hadn't come to terms with her own words, at least not fully. He chose against commenting, instead rising to his feet.

“...Goku..?”

Chi-Chi watched confused as her husband approached, unable to say anything more before being pulled into a hug. It was the soft, gentle kind, reserved just for her.

“I'm really proud of you, Chi-Chi,” Goku said after a while.  
  
He felt her laugh against his chest, most likely in an attempt at modesty.  
  
“I can't let the vegetables burn...” Chi-Chi said, moving out of the embrace.

Goku let her go, stepping back once more.

“Definitely wouldn't want that,” he chuckled, but then became mildly concerned.

“I know I'm not training with Pan, but I still get to eat, right?”  
  
Chi-Chi laughed as her husband's stomach growled loudly.  
  
“Of course, Goku –  _goodness._ Who do you think those two legs of ham are for?”

* * *

 

  
“ _Grandma_  is a fighter too?!”

Pan raced over to greet Chi-Chi excitedly, just as she'd begun serving up lunch.

“C-careful, Pan!” Gohan called out, following his daughter close behind with Videl.

Chi-Chi side-stepped the five-year-old with ease, patting her on the head while balancing the hot pot she was holding against her hip.

“Please,” she told the young parents, “I've had  _years_  of experience.”  
  
Gohan looked relieved, and Videl chuckled.  
  
“Are you really going to train me, Grandma?” Pan asked from below, pulling at the front of Chi-Chi's gi.  
  
Chi-Chi grinned down at her granddaughter, “Who do you think your Uncle Goten was training with when he transformed into a Super Saiyan?”  
  
Pan's eyes grew almost as wide as the serving platters, shining brightly with excitement.

“ _Really!?_  You must be so strong to fight with Uncle Goten, Grandma!”  
  
“That's right, Pan,” Chi-Chi smiled, endeared by her granddaughter, “Do you know the first thing we always did to start our training?”  
  
“Tell me, Tell me!” Pan smiled, bouncing on her toes.

“We made sure we had plenty of energy. A great fighter never goes into battle on an empty stomach! So how about you come sit at the table and eat some lunch, to make sure you're strong enough to train.”  
  
“O-kay!” Pan pumped her fists excitedly.

She may have only been one quarter Saiyan, but Pan possessed a  _full-blooded_ Saiyan appetite. She would never turn down a meal.  
  
“It smells wonderful, Chi-Chi,” Videl smiled, entering the kitchen.

Gohan followed, moving to help Pan up onto a chair.  
  
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Videl looked pointedly at the heavy pot Chi-Chi was holding.

“Don't be silly,” Chi-Chi laughed dismissively, “You work ridiculously long hours most of the week. Sit – Gohan can help me finish serving.”  
  
“You heard her, Honey,” Videl chuckled, swapping places with her husband.

“Coming,” Gohan smiled at his mother, taking the heavy pot off her hands.  
  
“Just bring those two plates to the table too, if you can,” Chi-Chi directed thankfully.

“Sure thing, Mom.”  
  
  
_“Hey, hey! Is that my favourite granddaughter I see?”  
  
_ Goku entered the kitchen, waving to Pan.  
  
“Grandpa!” Pan shouted excitedly, jumping from her seat to greet him before Videl could even hope to stop her.  
  
She hugged Goku's side affectionately, tugging at his pants leg until she was picked up.  
  
“Careful Pan, if you leave your plate unguarded too long I'll have no choice but to eat your share!” He teased.

Pan immediately began to struggle away from her grandfather, while everyone laughed.

“Grampa!  _You wouldn't!_ ” she exclaimed, shocked and appalled.

“ _He would_ ,” Chi-Chi, Gohan and Videl agreed in unison.

* * *

 

  
“Alright Pan, are you ready?” Chi-Chi asked, taking a defensive stance.

She stood outside, a little ways from the house in a grassy clearing with her granddaughter. Pan squared off in front of her eagerly, barely able to keep from bouncing on her toes.  
  
“Yes!” she said, frowning in concentration.  
  
“I want you to treat me like an enemy, don't hold back,” Chi-Chi instructed.  
  
Gohan stepped forward from the sidelines, looking concerned. Unable to stop them before they began, he sincerely hoped Pan would hold back at  _least_  a little.  
  
Goku laughed beside him, placing his free hand on his son's shoulder in comfort. The other held the leg of ham he was still polishing off.  
  
“Your mom knows what she's doing,” he said between a mouthful.  
  
Pan pushed off from the ground, wasting no time following her grandmother's instructions. She closed the gap between them with impressive speed, lining up for a solid punch.  
  
  
_“Not good enough..”  
_  
  
She heard Chi-Chi say, barely above a whisper, before finding herself tumbling across the ground in the opposite direction.

Pan was deeply confused, while her family nearby caught the whole exchange. With only a light touch, and careful wrist movement, Chi-Chi had taken the force from Pan's blow, and used it to manoeuvre herself around it completely.  
  
“W-when did Mom learn  _that_?” Gohan's head snapped to his father, eyes wide.  
  
“Your mom is full of secrets,” Goku answered unhelpfully with a grin, eyes glued on the action.  
  
Videl smirked at the exchange but said nothing.  
  
Over the years she'd managed to break down quite a few walls between her and her mother-in-law. With Videl's line of work, the two women found something they could relate to – ironically what Chi-Chi spent a lot of time resenting: martial arts.  
  
Chi-Chi was a modest woman, who rarely sung her own praises. It was likely hard to even if she had wanted to, given her marriage to a super-powered, world-saving alien. But Videl could still tell Chi-Chi was passionate about honing her own skills, and had apparently found some  _interesting_  ways to do so while maintaining her housewife status.

Videl had of course, been sworn to secrecy. Thankful at the strengthening of their relationship, she honoured Chi-Chi's trust.  
  
  
Across the clearing Pan dusted herself off. She raised her fists uncertainly to her chest, still confused as to exactly what had happened.  
  
“Again!” Chi-Chi commanded, taking stance once more.  
  
“O-okay!” Pan said with noticeably less confidence.  
  
This was incredibly different to any of the sparring she'd done with Goten or Goku.  
  
She took a moment to focus, before charging her grandmother again. Pan watched Chi-Chi's hands more carefully this time, taking aim with her foot instead.

She barely brushed with Chi-Chi's forearm before being sent tumbling across the clearing once more. Pan landed heavily on her side.  
  
“You can't always rely on your strength to beat your opponent,” Chi-Chi said firmly, walking over to where her granddaughter laid.  
  
“Even if you  _are_  a Saiyan,” she continued.  
  
More dazed than hurt, Pan found her own footing. She met Chi-Chi's eyes, and nodded as she spoke.  
  
“Do you know how I was able to stop you from hitting me, Pan?”  
  
Pan shook her head. In the back of her mind she considered suggesting that her grandmother was using wizardry, but thought better of it.  
  
“I was fighting smarter, _not_  harder,” Chi-Chi stated.  
  
Pan's eyes widened, interest spiking.  
  
“Smarter... Not harder..?” She repeated.  
  
“That's right,” Chi-Chi nodded, offering a small smile, “I want you to watch very closely what I do, alright.”  
  
Pan nodded enthusiastically.  
  
“Videl,” Chi-Chi called out, beckoning for her daughter-in-law, “I need a good sparring partner to demonstrate with.”  
  
Videl smiled, and made her way over without hesitation. She was eager to be involved in her daughters training honestly, and a chance to spar with Chi-Chi after all their talks would likely be a treat.  
  
“B-be careful, Honey!” Gohan called out after her, looking concerned again.

Videl waved without turning around, joining her daughter and mother-in-law.  
  
_  
“You're_  gonna fight Grandma?” Pan asked, looking incredulously at Videl. “You better watch out, Mom – she's _really_ good!”  
  
Videl chuckled, directing a complimentary smile at Chi-Chi. The older woman gave a soft _'hmph'_ of acknowledgement, but quickly shifted focus back to the task at hand.  
  
“Remember Pan, I want you to watch very closely at what I'm doing.”  
  
“Right!” Pan nodded, eyes focused and eager to learn.  
  
“This isn't just dodging,” she added, “You can't always rely on your opponent to give you the chance.”  
  
Pan's eyes widened. She hadn't really thought about that before. Although young, she knew on some level Goten and Goku never fought their hardest against her, because she needed room to learn.

Imagining a fight against someone who wasn't her uncle or her grandpa, and who wasn't just sparring like at the World Martial Arts Tournament was scary. Someone who wanted to hurt her, and who didn't care about playing fair.  
  
_“Is that how Daddy felt against Cell?”  
_  
  
“-And if your opponent is stronger than you, Pan, that means you  _won't_  last long.”  
  
Pan nodded again, this time silently. She tried to clear her mind, and focus on what Chi-Chi was saying. She watched her mother and grandmother square off. Chi-Chi gave a nod to Videl.

Videl charged forward with a fierce right hook.  
  
Pan's eyes widened again, as she watched the exchange.

Chi-Chi used her whole forearm to block Videl's punch, and then levered her to the right with a quick side-step. Videl didn't go flying, but stumbled off balance.

  
Pan took note of the way her mother bent her knees to quickly regain stability.

  
Videl bounced back and struck at Chi-Chi again, and again, demonstrating the pattern for Pan to observe.

“Are you watching, Pan?” Chi-Chi called out to her granddaugher.

Her eyes remained focused, continually lining up to block and evade Videl's attacks.  
  
“Can you see how I'm using her strength against her?” she asked, knocking Videl back once more.  
  
Pan nodded at first, but thought better of it, instead calling out.  
  
“Yes, Grandma!”  
  
“Always push outwards, like this,” Chi-Chi called back, demonstrating just that.  
  
Videl went along with it, stumbling off to the side.  
  
“By pushing me outward, she's throwing off my balance,” Videl added, shooting her daughter a quick smile.  
  
Pan smiled back, watching as the two women continued.  
  
“I understand,” she answered.  
  
“Good,” Chi-Chi said, lowering her arms from their defensive position.  
  
Videl followed, dropping her own guard, and followed Chi-Chi's gaze to Pan.  
  
“Now it's your turn to give it a try.”

* * *

 

  
From the side lines Gohan and Goku watched Pan's progress. She was a quick learner, and a careful listener. Before long she was repeating the same block and evasion pattern as Chi-Chi and Videl. She switched between them, sparring with great concentration.  
  
“It's a real shame Goten isn't here,” Goku commented, ham-leg long finished, and arms crossed across his chest. “He'd get a lot out of this kind of training.”  
  
“You think..?” Gohan asked.  
  
His own brawling days were pretty far behind him (sans the odd vigilantism). Gohan had assumed his little brother's interest would fade as well – with no impending threats to Earth, and high school coming front and centre. Even if academics weren't Goten's strong point, Gohan thought meeting girls his age would be enough to distract him from training.  
  
But the teenager had yet to bring a girlfriend home, and was taking up his father's offers to spar more and more. If wasn't Goku, he was off with Trunks – presumably training as well.  
  
“His form could use a lot of work,” Goku elaborated, nodding, “He falls back on careless attacking way too much – I don't think he ever grew out of the habit after Buu.”  
  
Gohan hummed in understanding, empathetic. He didn't expect anything more of the then-seven year old. Goten had been thrust into a war, woefully under-prepared. It was hard to unlearn survival instincts like that.  
  
  
“It makes Gotenks hard to achieve too.”  
  
Gohan turned away from his daughter, giving his dad a puzzled look.  
  
“They're still trying to perfect Fusion?”  
  
Goku laughed, an unabashed grin on his face, “Well yeah – I need a decent training partner sometimes too!”  
  
Had it been anything else, Gohan might have been surprised.  
  
Goku then pouted, "But to be honest, they seem more interested in out show-boating each other than anything else.. Sometimes it's almost like they forget I'm there!"

* * *

  
  
“Seeing as Pan is doing so well, why don't we make things a little trickier?” Videl suggested.  
  
The three had stopped for a short break. Pan was visibly tired, and panting where she sat on the ground. But she perked right up at the promise of another challenge.  
  
“Trickier?” She asked, pushing herself to her feet.  
  
Chi-Chi let her daughter-in-law take the lead, crossing her arms to listen.  
  
“If you think she's ready.”  
  
“I'm ready, I'm ready!” Pan assured them.

She was feeling her confident self again, eager to practice her new technique.  
  
“Alright then,” Videl smiled, taking stance a small distance from her daughter.  
  
Chi-Chi followed, giving Videl a nod.  
  
“Now that you know how to turn your opponent's strength again them – you need to be ready for  _them_ to do the same to you.”  
  
Pan's eyes were wide once more, this time in realisation. She hadn't thought about using her new trick against anyone but her Uncle Goten. _Of course_ her opponent would know how to do that.  
  
Pan shook her head, focusing again.  
  
  
“Right!” she nodded, determined.  
  
“Watch closely,” Videl directed at her daughter.  
  
She locked eyes with Chi-Chi, who gave her another nod in confirmation. Videl charged forward, and Chi-Chi prepared to evade.  
  
They met in a quick succession of movements. Chi-Chi resisted Videl's punch with her usual block, side-stepping to push her outwards and off balance, but this time Videl countered her. She ducked below Chi-Chi's forearm, grasping it with one hand, and striking with the other. Chi-Chi caught Videl's fist inches from her face.

Had it not been for Pan's Saiyan blood, her young eyes may not have kept up with it.  
  
  
“They better be paying you well on that task-force,” Chi-Chi commented with an impressed smile, squeezing Videl's fist in her hand.

Her other arm trembled in resistance against Videl's hold.

Videl smiled back, “Gohan hasn't needed to take out a student loan yet.”  
  
Chi-Chi smiled.  
  
They broke apart, jumping back in opposite directions.  
  
“Did you see that, Sweetie?” Videl asked, sparing a glance in Pan's direction.  
  
“Yes!” Pan answered, “You stopped Grandma from blocking by dodging and grabbing onto her arm.”  
  
“Very good, darling,” Videl praised, “I want you to watch a few more times, and then you can give it a try.”  
  
“O-kay!” Pan agreed eagerly.  
  
Videl gave Chi-Chi another nod, and then they were clashing again. Pan watched on, this time her mother and grandmother didn't stop. They kept at it, one blow after another, growing exceedingly complicated. Chi-Chi would deflect Videl's punch, only for her daughter-in-law to twist away and strike again. It was almost like a dance.  
  
Both women were smiling as they engaged in combat, and it was clear after several minutes they'd gotten a little carried away. They were more like their husbands than they realised, or would probably ever care to admit.  
  
It looked to be an even stalemate, Pan couldn't be sure who would tire first. Not that she was complaining. Pan watched their sharp, precise movements in awe.  
  
It was different to the way her grandfather or uncle fought. The Earth didn't shake when Chi-Chi and Videl collided, it was the complete opposite in fact. The only sounds Pan could hear, were the slight slaps of skin, and the dry grass crunching beneath their feet.  
  
_  
“This is what_ _ **girls**_ _can do..”_ _  
_  
  
“We could use  _you_ on the task-force,” Video panted with a smirk.  
  
Chi-Chi scoffed in reply, blocking another punch.  
  
“I'd never hear the end of it from Goku,” she relented, side-stepping Videl again.  
  
“And  _Gohan_  would have a heart attack.”  
  
Videl laughed, never losing focus.

“That's true,” she conceded, this time striking with her leg.

Pan stepped forward instinctively, concerned. Chi-Chi didn't bat an eye though, crossing her arms above her head and stopping Videl mid-kick. Videl retracted it in time to deflect an oncoming jab.

Pan couldn't settle after that, growing a little worried for their safety. She didn't want to see either of them actually get hurt.  
  
Her line of tolerance was drawn, and sharply crossed in Videl and Chi-Chi's next few movements.

They traded blows with their legs now, colliding higher in the air than Pan ever thought possible without the help of flight. After a particular clash, Chi-Chi dropped herself to the ground, leg outstretched. She spun herself on her hands, taking Videl out by the ankles.  
  
Pan dashed forward in a panic.  
  
  
_“_ ** _M-Mommy!”_** _  
  
  
_ Her hair flickered golden, catching everyone's attention.  
  
  
Thoroughly distracted, Videl landed with a heavy  _'thud'_ on her side. Her eyes were wide in Pan's direction.

Chi-Chi sported a similar expression, poised close to the ground where she last struck.

Gohan and Goku rushed to meet them, just as shocked by the exchange.  
  
  
“Are you okay?” Pan asked at her mother's side, offering her tiny hands to help Videl up.  
  
“I'm fine, swee– Oh my god, _your eyes_.”  
  
Pan blinked, frowning in confusion.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
She turned at the sound of heavy footsteps behind her, seeing Gohan and Goku fast approaching.

Gohan stopped in surprise when they grew closer.  
  
“Pan!  _Your eyes_!”  
  
“What? W-what's wrong with my eyes..?!” Pan asked, tears welling as she cupped her face.  
  
Gohan knelt down to comfort his daughter, and to get a better look. He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing.  
  
“They're..They're..”  
  
“ _Blue_ ,” Goku finished for him, kneeling beside his son.  
  
“B-Blue?” Pan repeated worriedly.  
  
Goku grinned back at her, nodding.  
  
“Yeah. Just like a Super Saiyan's.”  
  
_**  
****"What?!"**_  
  
  
In a rare moment, Goku felt all eyes fall on him for an explanation. His grin only grew.  
  
“Something very special happened just now – We all saw it,” he said. “When Grandma knocked your mom off her feet, your hair turned gold, Pan.”  
  
Pan's eyes grew wide, shining as brightly as her hair had moments ago.  
  
“R-Really?” She asked excitedly, looking to the others for confirmation.  
  
Gohan and Videl nodded with varying levels of uncertainty, while Chi-Chi crossed her arms with a sigh.  
  
“Oh there's _no_ mistaking it,” she said, very familiar with the blonde spikes in question.  
  
Pan turned back to Goku, bouncing on the balls of her feet.  
  
“I've never seen a Saiyan's eyes stay blue like this before, but – I'd say you're well on your way to becoming a Super Saiyan.”  
  
_“Really?!”_ Pan was smiling from ear to ear, bouncing at an increasingly rapid rate.  
  
Gohan directed a concerned look at his father, with a low cough. Goku took the hint, looking a little sheepish.  
  
“Yes Pan, but,” he continued, raising his hands to calm the five-year-old, “You need to understand, being a Super Saiyan isn't a play-thing, or a toy.”  
  
Pan's bouncing slowed as she listened to her grandfather's tone take on a rare air of seriousness.  
  
“Transforming into a Super Saiyan is a response to a need, _not_ a desire.”  
  
Pan nodded slowly, smile fading with the blue in her eyes, “...Oh.”  
  
Gohan gave his father an approving nod.  
  
“It's a big responsibility, and it takes a lot of energy to pull off correctly,” Goku said, “You'll have to be serious about your training if you want to fully reach it.”  
  
“I'm very serious,” Pan assured him, her voice wavering a little.  
  
She wasn't used to this level of sternness from her grandpa. The last thing she wanted to was to disappoint him, even if the weight of becoming a Super Saiyan suddenly felt so _heavy_ , and out of her depth.  
  
“So you won't go trying to go Super Saiyan by yourself?”  
  
“I won't,” Pan shook her head.  
  
“Good,” Goku nodded, breaking into a grin, “Because I think with the right training, you might just be the _youngest_ Super Saiyan yet.”  
  
The excitement returned to Pan's eyes, but the five-year-old made a clear effort to keep herself from bouncing up and down this time. She held her fists by her sides, determined.  
  
"I'm going to train my hardest!"  
  
  
“Speaking of training,” Chi-Chi chimed in, stepping forward, “I don't think we were quite finished with ours, were we?”  
  
Videl was on her feet again too. She joined Chi-Chi's side.  
  
Pan turned to them, with renewed eagerness.  
  
“I'm ready,” she declared with a determined frown.

* * *

  
  
  
The three Son women sparred well into the afternoon without any further incident. Goku and Gohan watched nearby, proudly and with relief respectively.  
  
“Thanks for that, Dad..” Gohan said, “I'm not really sure what to call what happened today – But I just don't want her running away with her imagination, you know?”  
  
“She's got big dreams,” Goku nodded with a chuckle, “Even without a cause Pan wants to test her strength, and keep getting stronger.”  
  
“I think there must have been a generational skip there..” Gohan commented, looking pointedly down at himself.  
  
Goku placed a hand on his son's shoulder, squeezing it in comfort.  
  
“Pan's a lot more like you than you think,” he said.  
  
Gohan looked back up at his father, uncertain.  
  
“Just look at what happened earlier,” Goku elaborated, “That spark of Super Saiyan energy we felt, was because Pan saw Videl in danger. Her power comes from her heart.”  
  
Gohan blinked thoughtfully.  
  
“Just like her dad,” Goku said with a smile, poking Gohan playfully in the chest.  
  
Gohan looked down to his father's finger, a bashful smile spreading to his lips.  
  
“I've seen that power in action, son,” Goku continued, “And it's potential is _limitless_.”

* * *

  
  
Goten paid a visit early in the evening. He was greeted by Videl at the door.  
  
“Hey, I was actually wondering if Pan was around,” the teen said, rubbing at the back of his neck.  
  
He knew what Gohan and Videl were like with communication, and had no doubt she was aware of the incident between Pan and himself.  
  
“I uh, owe her an apology.”  
  
His fears were confirmed when Videl nodded, but he was quickly relieved when she smiled right after.  
  
“Of course, she's just helping Gohan with dinner,” Videl said, stepping aside to lead her brother-in-law to the kitchen.  
  
“Have you already eaten? You're welcome to stay,” she said over her shoulder.  
  
“Oh uhm, yeah Mom already made dinner...But if you've got room for one more,” Goten replied with a hopeful grin behind her.  
  
“You're always welcome,” Videl reminded him with a laugh as they arrived at the doorway of the kitchen.  
  
Pan stood on a stool beside her father at the counter top. She watched carefully as Gohan cracked an egg into a mixing bowl. They were wearing matching aprons, though Pan's had clearly been cut and sewn shorter to fit her.  
  
“You have to be careful to get it into the bowl, okay?” Gohan explained  
  
“Right!” Pan nodded, reaching for the second egg.  
  
Videl and Goten watched quietly, letting Pan concentrate.  
  
“Gently now,” Gohan encouraged her.  
  
He watched with pride as Pan did just that, cracking the egg carefully into the bowl (and only dribbling a tiny smidge over the side).  
  
“Like this?” She asked, pulling the two halves of the shell apart.  
  
“Exactly, Pan – Well done!”  
  
Pan beamed up at her dad, while Videl took the opportunity to step fully into the kitchen.  
  
“That's looking great, sweetie,” she said, coming to her husband's side and slipping an arm around his waist as she spoke.  
  
“Did you see me crack it, Mommy?” Pan asked her, gesturing to the mixing bowl.  
  
“I did,” Videl nodded, “A Super Saiyan _and_ a chef all in one day, huh?”  
  
Pan grinned back at her mother, nodding.  
  
_“You went Super??”_ Goten blurted out from the doorway, shocked.  
  
“Uncle Goten!” Pan grinned, bounding over to the teen.  
  
“Are you having dinner with us?” she asked, looking up at her uncle.  
  
“Um, yeah,” he smiled, kneeling down to ruffle Pan's hair.  
  
“So what's this about you going Super..?” he asked, sparing a glance at Gohan and Videl, “I-I was only gone for a day or so, haha.”  
  
The married couple looked back down to their daughter, and Goten followed with peaked interest.  
  
He listened as his niece recounted the days events with a level of seriousness he'd never seen in her before. She was a focused little fighter for her age, for sure, but... Apparently a lot _could_ happen in one day of absence.  
  
“..And Grandpa said if I keep training, I might be the youngest Super Saiyan ever,” Pan said, ending her story proudly.  
  
“Wow..” Goten said with a shake of his head, processing the information.  
  
Behind Pan, Gohan and Videl shared similar looks, still coming to terms with the events of today themselves.  
  
“Well in that case, I'm _way_ overdue on an apology,” Goten continued, being sure to look his niece in the eye as he spoke.  
  
Pan blinked, listening intently.  
  
“I'm really sorry for teasing you the other day. I shouldn't have said you couldn't be a Super Saiyan because you're a girl," Goten spoke earnestly and his embarrassment for his own behaviour was clear in the way he hung his head, fringe falling over his face.  
  
"Sometimes even big kids say stupid things.."  
  
  
 Pan looked deeply appreciative of her uncle's apology. There was never any doubt she'd forgive him.  
  
“But hey,” he said, looking upwards as his lips curling into a smile, “By the sounds of it you're well on your way to proving me wrong, anyway.”  
  
Pan smiled back at him, and leapt forward to give her Uncle a hug.  
  
“I'm sorry too, Uncle Goten,” she said stretching her little arms around him, “I shouldn't have punched you into the ground.”  
  
“Well...” Goten chuckled, sparing a glance back to her watchful parents to gauge an appropriate response.  
  
Gohan looked stern, but nodded. Videl followed after with a smile, and a nod of her own.  
  
“How about we _both_ try and be nicer from now on?” He suggested.  
  
“Yeah!” Pan agreed, squeezing her uncle tight.  
  
Gohan and Videl looked on approvingly

* * *

  
  
Gohan was left to finish cooking by himself, as Pan had taken off to play with Goten in the living room. Thankfully Videl was there to keep him company.  
  
“Dinner's ready you two,” He called out, while Videl set the table.  
  
“We'll knock it all over when we're done eating,” Goten promised Pan, standing from the living room floor.  
  
Pan sighed reluctantly back at the awesome block tower they'd built together.  
  
“Okay...” she relented, following her uncle to the kitchen.  
  
Pan's disappointment quickly disappeared as they entered the kitchen, the smell of Gohan's cooking hitting her full-force.

“It smells amazing, Daddy!” she exclaimed, clambering up into her chair.  
  
Goten nodded in agreement, already reaching for his cutlery.  
  
Gohan smiled at them, filling both their plates.  
  
“Hopefully it tastes even better,” he replied.  
  
“I'm sure it will,” Videl assured him, rubbing her husband's arm affectionately as he sat down with them.  
  
“I couldn't smell anything burning, so that's always a good sign," she chuckled teasingly.  
  
Everyone laughed, before tucking into the meal.

* * *

  
  
“Goten, have you been sleeping with your window open again?” Gohan asked, adjusting his glasses as he looked across at his brother.  
  
Goten tilted his head in confusion, mouth full of food and unable to answer. He'd just finished tying his hair back, after it kept getting in the way of his meal - which caught his older brother's attention.  
  
“You've got to be really careful with mosquitoes this time of year,” Gohan continued, eyes focused on Goten's neck.  
  
Goten's eyes widened as if in realisation, and he began chewing his food faster to get it all down.  
  
Videl followed her husband's gaze, commenting before he could swallow.  
  
“Oh _wow!_ You're right, Honey – They must really love your blood, Goten,” she laughed.  
  
“Let me see, let me see!” Pan said, leaning forward across the table to join her parents.  
  
Goten slapped a hand over his neck, finally managing to swallow. Pan pouted.  
  
“M-must have been the window!” he said, heat rising to his cheeks, “I was uh, wondering why my neck was itching today, haha..ha..!”  
  
Videl and Gohan shared a look, eying the young Half-Saiyan suspiciously, but didn't press the issue.  
  
Goten wore his hair down for the remainder of the meal.

* * *

  
  
Goten and Pan spent the rest the evening building block towers, and knocking them over together. Videl took to clearing up the dinner dishes, and Gohan retreated to his study to catch up on some book work.  
  
Pan began rubbing her eyes around tower number four. She yawned loudly.  
  
“I think I'm ready for bed,” she said.  
  
Goten blinked in surprise. Usually the five-year-old put up a little resistance when it came to bedtime.  
  
“Yeah?” he asked.  
  
Pan nodded sleepily.

“I don't want to be tired when I'm training tomorrow,” she explained.  
  
“How about we pack up these blocks and I'll take you up to bed, then?” Goten suggested, endeared by his tiny niece.  
  
“..Okay,” she said, yawning again.

* * *

  
  
Pan hung onto her uncle -not unlike a little monkey- as he carried her to bed. Goten placed her carefully under her covers, and tucked them up tight around her.  
  
“You want your nightlight on, Pan?” he asked softly, hand already poised over by the switch.  
  
“Yes please..” Pan nodded into her pillow.  
  
“Alrighty,” he said, turning her nightlight on at the wall.  
  
Pan started to snore shortly after, and Goten took his leave.  
  
He padded out of the room as quietly as possible. Gohan was there to meet him, just outside the doorway.  
  
“Is she asleep?” Gohan whispered.  
  
Goten nodded with a smile.  
  
“Think it was all the training today.”  
  
“You're probably right,” Gohan agreed with a small smile, “Usually takes at least one bed-time story before she goes down.”  
  
Goten chuckled, nodding knowingly, “Yeah.”  
  
“You heading home then?” Gohan asked, “Sorry I kind of disappeared after dinner.”  
  
Goten shook his head, waving dismissively, “Don't be – I know you've got that big paper due soon, you gotta do what you gotta do.”  
  
Gohan smiled appreciatively, “I'll walk you to the door then. Thanks for playing with her tonight, too. She's always excited when you come over.”  
  
"Hey, she's not the only one who has fun. It's nice to have an excuse to play on the floor."  
  
The Half-Saiyan brothers laughed as they made their way down the stairs together. Goten gave a quick good-bye to Videl on his way to the door.  
  
“Don't forget to close your window this time,” Gohan reminded him, opening the front door for his brother.  
  
Goten stiffened beside him, caught off guard.  
  
“U-uh, right! Haha, I will,” he stammered, taking his leave.

 


End file.
